Ramirez's Two-Run Homer in Extras Downs the Giants, 5-3

The Giants and Dodgers lived up to the heated rivarly on Friday night. In fact, that would be an understatement.

Stephen Fife, who was making just his second major league start, shut down the Giants’ struggling offense after allowing a run in the bottom of the second inning. Fife pitched a quality 6 1/3 innings, striking out two Giants’ batters.

Cain cruised through the Dodgers’ lineup until the sixth inning. None other than the pitcher Fife started a two out rally with two strikes on him. He lined a solid basehit to right field, but on a sight misplace, he was able to slide his way into second base. No error, however.

Fife’s two outs double was crucial, as it flipped the Dodgers’ lineup over. Jerry Hariston Jr. drilled an opposite field double down the line which scored Fife. Then, Mark Ellis smacked a single of his own in to right center field, giving the Los Angeles a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.

They weren’t done there, though. James Loney, who has found a good amount of success of his career, laced a single over the jumping Brandon Crawford’s glove, notching the score 3-1 in the sixth.

The drama really began in the eighth inning when Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan set the table for Brandon Belt who already had two hits on the night. With one out, Belt lined a broken bat single to shallow centerfield, tying the game at three a piece.

Clay Hensley, Jeremy Affeldt, and Santiago Casilla were lights out, pitching two scoreless innings combined, but Sergio Romo was the one who had trouble on Friday night.

Romo entered the game in the 11th, due to face the heart of the Dodgers’ improved lineup. He got Ellis and Kemp out without harm, however, he walked Andre Ethier on a very close pitch that could’ve been called either way. And the call would come back to bite him, as the newly acquired Hanley Ramirez broke the tie by smacking a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers. Ramirez made some gestures as well as he slowly trotted around the bases.

The Giants would put up a fight in the bottom of the inning with back to back singles from Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey, but closer Kenely Jansen retired the next three batters to close the game.

Posted in: AFC West,Alan Gordon,Los Angeles Dodgers,San Francisco Giants